Twenty-Four Seven
by Lily Anna Evans Potter
Summary: Post-season 3 finale: The missile attack on Syd and T.C's Syrian base camp has tragic consequences for Syd. When news of the attack reaches San Antonio Memorial, Drew swoops in to comfort Riley through losing her mother, with the unfortunate experience the death of Brianna's foster mother has given him with teenage girls. Drew / Riley friendship with Drew / Rick & Brianna.
1. Twenty-Four Seven

**Twenty-Four Seven**

Drew was pretty sure he was dreaming of the ice cream he had convinced Brianna to share with him earlier that night when a sharp jab in the ribs woke him with a start. "Night worker, sleep vital," he mumbled out loud, but when he forced his heavy eyelids open, Rick was leaning over him with a grim expression. "Who died?" he asked sleepily. "You know the rules, three days a week seven a.m. is bedtime for some people."

"Get up," Rick urged and suddenly Drew realized he was clutching his cell phone as delicately as if it might explode. "I just had Topher on the phone; there was a missile attack on the refugee camp in Syria."

"What?" Drew lurched upright, fully alert now, and stared at his husband in horror. He didn't have to ask the question on his mind for an answer to come.

"Apparently a chopper is on the way back to San Antonio Memorial right now. Syd and T.C…they were hit."

"Who else knows?" Drew asked faintly, picturing Jordan's hysterical meltdown a few weeks ago when the hospital's vengeful suicide bomber had felt she didn't know what it was like to lose the people she loved the most.

"Topher said he called up Jordan as soon as the news broke. It sounded really bad."

"What about Syd's ex in D.C? God, I still remember how hard Bri took losing Avery…Riley's the same age. She's such a good girl; it's not fair."

"No, it's not," Rick agreed; "Come here." Drew hadn't even realized he needed the hug until Rick's arms were around him, squeezing firmly. "I love you. If you want to go down there, I can watch Brianna right now. It's so early, but this feels like a night shift family thing. I mean, it's Syd and T.C."

"I told him to be careful," Drew groaned; "Goddamn reckless Irish blood and warring Turks do not mix." He gave his husband a grateful kiss before climbing out of bed. "I'll see you later, babe, I need to find out how bad this business really is."

It felt like an eternity before Drew reached the hospital with the worry gripping his heart. As soon as the E.R doors slid open, Topher looked up from the nurses' station and dragged him inside. "I wasn't sure you'd come," he confessed. "I know this is awful timing since you guys just got Brianna to yourselves, but…"

"War never has good timing, Toph," Drew cut him off. "How are they?"

"T.C's okay," Topher told him. "He left the medical tent right before the missile hit, so we've just got him on a touch of oxygen to clear up the inhalation of dust and smoke. He's going to beat himself up for ages, as he does, but that's the good news."

"Thank God," Drew breathed, but the anxiety hadn't passed yet. "What about Syd? Did you call her ex-husband in D.C? How is she?"

"I had Mollie call him; this felt like something a nurse with her finesse should inform the family of." Topher's hesitant tone told Drew all he needed to know. "It's bad, Drew. The shrapnel from the missile went right for her head. By the time the helicopter got here, there was no brain activity. I'm really sorry." The last time he had seen the younger medic looking this distraught was when Brianna's first lung donor didn't match, the desperation and disbelief was a painful sight. "Her family should be here in a couple of hours. I'll give you a minute."

Before Topher could walk away, Drew's hoarse voice broke the heavy silence. "Where are T.C and Jordan? I feel like she'll get it, you know? Army girlfriend, this feeling would have been a constant, right?"

"Maybe you're right," said Topher slowly. "She's not his girlfriend anymore though."

"She's the one holding his hand right now," said Drew dismissively. "Those two live in denial."

"That they do," the night shift chief agreed and pointed him towards the room where T.C had been taken. "See you later, buddy. I'll let you know when Syd's family gets here, okay?"

"Thanks, Toph," said Drew hastily, then whipped around and headed off in search of his friends. Jordan would understand the hollow desperation in his gut better than anyone else here right now. Elsewhere in the hospital, the oxygen mask strapped to T.C's face was drawing him closer to awareness with every passing minute. Jordan's face came into focus at his bedside, her green eyes damp and wide in fear. He lifted his arm with frustrating difficulty and touched her cheek, desperate to stop her looking so scared. Jordan closed her eyes to revel in the relief of his touch fully and didn't even hear the footsteps behind her until T.C squeezed her fingers, bringing her back to the present. "Hi, guys."

At the misery in Drew's voice, Jordan finally wrenched her gaze from T.C's soot-coated face. "Hi sweetie," she said softly; "I heard about Syd, I…I'm really sorry."

"You still sound like a mother, you know that?" Drew told her, and her sympathetic smile faltered. "Please don't be all soft and gentle right now, if you be nice I'll cry."

"What's wrong with that?" Jordan demanded. "Syd is your friend; you're allowed to be upset."

"Soon I'll have a motherless thirteen-year-old and a widower to deal with, that's what's wrong with it. I don't want to be a mess when Riley gets here. She deserves all the support in the world, that's why I'm here."

"You don't have to be brave all the time, you know," she told him. "That's very noble of you, but speaking as someone who has actually lost a parent, believe me when I tell you it helps sometimes to see how much other people care. Tears are always a part of that."

"That's a little hypocritical, J, you hardly ever cry," Drew pointed out and she shrugged dismissively.

"I never said my way is right; a little vulnerability never hurt anyone. Riley knows you care about her."

They were distracted by the sound of strained breathing, and T.C ignored Jordan's protests when she saw him holding the oxygen mask away from his mouth. Drew noted a very familiar guilty look in his dark eyes. "I'm sorry, Drew," he said simply, every word an obvious struggle. "Syd even told me she never wanted to work with me again; I cause trouble wherever I go. I walked out of the camp just before the missile hit…it should have been me."

"You take that back," Jordan snapped, clamping the plastic oxygen mask back over T.C's mouth. "Take it back, right now!"

He eyed her wearily; unable to say anything else and only looked up when Drew's hand squeezed his. "She's right, T. You remember I told you to damn well come home safely?" He took a deep breath while the dark-haired man nodded reluctantly. "Well nobody said everyone would make it back in one piece. It's a war zone, man, clearly in no way your fault. Understand?"

T.C lifted the mask again, looking ready to use every ounce of his energy to argue his guilt but before he could speak Topher peered into the room. "Hey, Drew? Syd's family just arrived; do you wanna talk to them?"

Drew closed his eyes for a moment to brace himself for the daunting conversation which lay ahead. Jordan slipped the hand not clinging to T.C's into his and squeezed, the gentle pressure bringing him crashing down to the reality of the situation. "I have to," he said resolutely and moved past Topher in the direction of the trauma ward. Mollie was already briefing a burly man who had Riley clinging to his hand on Syd's condition. A blonde woman with the tiniest swell of a baby bump beneath her cotton shirt stood beside the pair, looking sad at whatever Mollie was telling them.

The teenager spotted him first and broke away from her father to lurch into Drew's arms, so suddenly she almost threw him off balance. "Drew!"

"Hey, Riles," he said sadly. "How was your flight?"

"Tell me it's not true," the thirteen-year-old begged, no hint of the usual sparkle visible in her hazel eyes. "Tell me that Mom's okay and this is all a mistake."

"I-I wish I could, sweetheart," Drew stammered, rubbing her back consolingly as the girl continued to cling desperately.

"Riley," the blonde woman said gently, stepping forward to try and pry the girl from Drew's arms. "It's going to be okay, honey."

"Shut up, Lexie!" the girl snapped, strands of bushy hair coming loose when she whipped around to glare at her stepmother. "It's not okay…it's not okay."

"Apologize to Lexie, Riley Ann Jones," her father said sternly, and his daughter crossed her arms defiantly and planted herself next to Drew.

"My name is still Riley Jennings, Dad," she said with a huge scowl. "You blamed Mom for going off to war, but she's still my Mom. She's still my Mom, not Lexie!"

"Sam, do something," said Lexie, eyeing her husband reproachfully when Riley turned and fled towards Syd's room.

Riley's father shrugged helplessly, but he hadn't missed the way Drew was staring after the distraught girl. "Will you try and talk to her?" the balding man asked wearily. "Things with Syd got so ugly; there's no way that I can get through to Riley right now. I care about my ex-wife but we just…haven't had anything but Riley in common in a really long time. The kid obviously trusts you."

"She's a very special girl," said Drew pointedly. "Strong, too, just like her Mom."

"Yes, well…" Sam trailed off awkwardly and motioned after his daughter. "Please do something?"

Drew turned without a word in the direction of Syd's room, suppressing the dread at what he would find. The only sound in the room was the steady beeping of the heart monitor, the one observing her brain activity was a hopeless flat line. He didn't hear it immediately but after some time the muffled sobs coming from behind the closed bathroom sliding door mingled with the beeping machine. He slid it open hesitantly and found Riley sitting hunched over on the floor against the glass wall of the shower cabin. "Can I join you?" he asked softly, and the teenager nodded, attempting to wipe her teary eyes subtly. "Your Dad's trying, Riles," he started carefully, and Riley stiffened.

"He hates Mom for joining the army," she said. "He keeps dissing her, but I was always proud of what she did. I don't wanna lose my Mom, Drew. She's my hero!"

"She knew that, champ," he told her earnestly. "When I served with her all she could talk about was coming home to you. She was so proud of you."

"I couldn't look at her out there," Riley whimpered. "I just panicked seeing all the machines. But I feel like I have to look, you know? Will you come with me? I have something I need to tell her."

"Of course I will." Drew pulled the trembling girl to her feet and pressed her close to him as they left the bathroom and approached the bed where Syd lay. He didn't point out that Syd was brain-dead already, remembering how cathartic it had been for Brianna to say goodbye when her foster mother Avery passed away. "I'll stay right here if you want me to."

"Yes please," Riley whispered, clinging to his hand as she stared at Syd's bandaged head, bruised eyelids the only visible slits in the dressing. "I…I love you, Mom," she said; "Twenty-four…god, I wish you could say it back because I…"

"Seven," Drew interrupted under his breath and Riley turned to stare at him in wonder. "Twenty-four seven, right?"

"You know about our thing?" Riley marveled.

"I heard your Mom on Skype a few times," he confessed. "Hearing you say seven to her twenty-four or vice versa used to keep her going over there. She loved you twenty-four seven, every minute of every day. We all knew it watching her throw herself into the work to make you proud."

"I can't remember the last time I was really paying attention when we talked," said Riley miserably. "I got so caught up with Dad and Lexie's wedding. I can't believe she's really gone."

Her lips quivered pitifully and Drew enveloped her in another strong hug. "She'll always be with you, kid. And you know, if it's okay you'll always have someone who loves you here in Texas."

"Twenty-four seven?" Riley asked shakily, staring up at him with hopeful eyes and Drew touched Syd's burned hand gently before he answered solemnly.

"Twenty-four seven, I promise." This time when the thirteen-year-old burst into tears, he was ready for it and held her with the unfortunate experience Brianna's loss of Avery had given him. When Sam and Lexie eventually found their way to Syd's bedside, Riley was calmer in the knowledge that though her mother was gone, she had a friend who'd cared deeply for Syd, forever.

 **A / N This has been in progress since the tragic cliffie of the season 3 finale. I loved Syd and Drew's friendship with Riley, so something had to come of it. Enjoy! xx**


	2. Rocks And Hard Places

**Rocks And Hard Places**

Rick was half-heartedly organizing breakfast for himself and Brianna when his cell phone rang. He knew from the familiar cheesy ringtone that it was Drew, but Brianna's laugh when she heard the shrill snippet of the Steps number did nothing to quell his concern. "Hey babe, what's going on over there?" he asked urgently.

Drew had finally left Riley in Syd's room with her father and stepmother but found being alone with his grief even more unbearable. He was back in the room where T.C was being treated for smoke inhalation, trying to avoid Jordan's overwhelmingly sympathetic gaze from across the room. "Syd is brain-dead," he said, the words feeling as if they might choke him with the weight of their meaning. "Riley and her Dad are here now…she's so broken. I really tried to help her, but I don't know if it made any difference. That's a really lousy feeling, you know."

"Oh baby," Rick sighed and grimaced when Brianna looked up in concern at his tone. "I'm coming down there, right now," he said decisively. "Do you need anything from home?"

"Just your face," Drew whispered, clinging harder to the phone as the urge to be hugged by his husband threatened to consume him. "I need you and our girl, that's it."

"Coming right up," said Rick solemnly. "Hang in there, honey." He hung up the phone and turned to see Brianna staring at him with worried eyes.

"What was that about, Daddy?"

With a strained grimace, Rick hobbled towards the table and sat down opposite the teenager. "I hope you don't mind one more hospital breakfast," he said, squeezing Brianna's fingers when she frowned at him in confusion. "Do you remember Syd Jennings from after your surgery?"

"Yeah," the teenager nodded. "I remember because she was surprised I thought Dad's description didn't do her justice. What about her?"

"Well you know she served with Dad, and they were friends, right? Recently Syd and Dr. Callahan went to serve as medics at a refugee camp in Syria. There was a missile attack, honey. Dad just called to say Syd is brain-dead; he went to the hospital an hour ago to support her family. Her daughter Riley is your age, you know."

Brianna looked crestfallen but held her emotions together as only a kid with her life experience could have. "Take me with you!" she demanded; "I can help, I know I can."

"Bri, I wasn't planning on leaving you here anyway." The thirteen-year-old smiled sheepishly and leaned into his arms. "You're part of this family now, missy. Thirteen-year-olds don't stay home by themselves when their Dad needs a hug, let's go."

At the hospital, Drew had gravitated back towards Syd's room in spite of himself. He found Riley in the hallway outside her mother's room, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed as if trying to block out the tragic reality of the situation. Beyond the closed door Drew could hear the murmurs of her father and stepmother Lexie talking. "It's heavy in there, huh?" he said sympathetically.

Riley nodded bitterly and slid to the floor, collapsing under the weight of her feelings. "Mom is gone, and Dad still can't respect her, it makes me so mad!"

"It's okay to be angry; Riles…nothing about this is fair. I mean even after your parents weren't together anymore, you knew you always had two places to call home. Half your life is going to change in a huge way now. It's a lot to take in; you have to let yourself feel whatever comes."

"But what I feel sucks," Riley moaned and at the pure misery in her eyes Drew joined her on the floor. Her head tilted against his shoulder, feeling so heavy it was as if her thoughts had a physical weight. "I don't want to cry anymore."

"I know," he said simply and clasped her hand tightly. "Just try not to beat yourself up if you do. How would you like to meet my daughter? Brianna is your age; I called her and Rick down here for moral support. They should be here soon."

Riley stared at him in surprise; "Since when do you have a daughter?"

"She was my patient," he explained. "Bri has cystic fibrosis, and she's been in foster care her whole life. Her last foster mother died in a car wreck last month. I figured she'll understand how you feel right now. Rick and I are very new to the parenthood thing." Drew hesitated before adding; "Your Mom was the one who wrote me a letter of recommendation for the adoption process, actually. Brianna had a double lung transplant recently, and she was a total rock through the whole thing."

"That doesn't surprise me." The minuscule smile on her face relieved Drew. "Definitely sounds like the kind of thing Mom would have done. God, talking about her in the past tense is so messing with my head."

"Are you sure you don't want to be with your Dad and Lexie right now?" he prompted, and Riley's little smile slipped away.

"It's easier with you," she whispered. "Is that okay? You just…get it."

"Of course it is, honey. As long as they don't mind, you can hang out with me as long as you want."

"You look really tired though," Riley pointed out, looking worried.

"Don't worry about me, kid. I was on duty last night, that's all. Didn't get much sleep before Topher called with news of the missile attack. I got here as fast as I could."

"I'm really glad you did," she said softly, but just as Drew slipped his arm comfortingly around her, Lexie peered out into the hallway.

"Riley honey, I'm sure your Dad would appreciate it if you would join us in here. Please?" The blonde's distressed gaze met Drew's when he reluctantly pulled Riley to her feet. "I'm really trying here, Riles. Give me a chance to help you, okay?"

"Sure you are," said Riley dully, her watery eyes hovering over the hand Lexie had resting subconsciously against her stomach. "My Dad is perfectly happy to replace me and Mom can't tell whether I'm in that room or not. I'm sure as hell not coming in there for you!" With that the thirteen-year-old turned on her heel and ran, leaving Lexie staring desperately at Drew once more.

"I don't know where this is coming from," she said quaveringly. "Until the wedding, we got along so well. Did she tell you anything?"

"At the wedding her mother was alive," said Drew simply and saw the helplessness swirling like a visible force in Lexie's baby-blue eyes. "Don't try and push her into anything right now; it'll just make her keep her distance harder."

Before Lexie could respond to his advice, Sam stepped out into the hallway; "You sure seem to think you know everything about my daughter, doc," he said unpleasantly. "I would appreciate it if you stop making my wife feel inferior. Where the hell is Riley?"

"Sam, it's not a big deal, calm down." Lexie placed a soothing hand against her husband's chest, but just then their attention was diverted by frantic footsteps.

"Dad!" Drew spun around just in time for Brianna to crash into his arms, breathing hard.

"Honey, you're not supposed to be running yet," he scolded her half-heartedly, but how hard he was squeezing his daughter contradicted the reprimand.

"I don't care," Brianna argued; "Daddy said you needed a hug. How was that?"

"Perfect," Drew whispered, the emotions of the long night and tragic dawn threatening to spill over. "I love you, kid."

"Is this your daughter?" asked Lexie, her gaze darting nervously to Sam's tense posture in spite of her friendly voice.

"Yes," said Drew; "Mr. and Mrs. Jones, my daughter Brianna. I'm sure having someone her own age around will help Riley open up. Like I was telling her before, Bri's been through quite a lot herself."

"Double lung transplant," said Brianna proudly. "Breathing is pretty awesome when you have someone who cares. I was a foster kid for the first nine years of my life. I know what it's like to not have parents at all…and then lose a Mom."

"So are you parenting her on your own?" Lexie asked Drew politely, eying Brianna in wonder at the teenager's forwardness.

"Did she say her Daddy sent her over here?" Sam cut in before Drew could speak and the medic saw his daughter's eyes glinting with outrage at the man's tone.

"Cool it," he warned Brianna, squeezing her shoulder with a hand that shook with suppressed anger. "Yes she did, Mr. Jones. My husband is a wonderful man and Brianna means everything to us. Do you have a problem with that?"

"What have you been telling my daughter, doc?" Riley's father snarled. "Have you been filling her head with your sinful lifestyle? It's unnatural, and I won't have it around my little girl!"

"Dad, don't!" Brianna squealed, but it wasn't her hand holding Drew's fist away from Sam's face.

Drew felt all the anger drain from his body when he turned to see Rick grasping his poised fist. "Don't do something you'll regret," said his husband calmly. Rick gestured a little way down the hall where Riley was standing and watching the tense scene unfold. "I found your daughter visiting Dr. Callahan, sir. That's a caring kid you've got there."

"Dad, how could you?" Riley choked, staring at her father in disgust. When he no longer saw red, Drew realized that Lexie had a similar expression of distaste on her face, but it was aimed at Sam. Before she could voice her disappointment at her husband though, Riley curled back into Drew's arms. "Please don't listen to him," she begged. "You helped me to miss my Mom less when her deployment got extended and I really, really need you here right now."

"You've so got me, kid," Drew promised, glaring at Sam over Riley's head; "I've dealt with much worse than this, believe me."

"I'm so sorry," Riley told him, and Drew shook his head as the anger turned into overwhelming sadness. "You know my Mom really cared about you."

"You don't have to make apologies for your father, Riley," Lexie cut in before Drew could speak. "I am definitely ashamed of the ignorance he's shown here today. I'm sorry about him, gentlemen."

"He's the one who should be sorry," Brianna snapped, scowling at Sam whose face was turning redder by the minute. "How dare you insult my family? Without my two awesome Dads, I would still be in foster care, so not cool!"

"Seriously," Riley agreed, wiping her eyes and standing next to Brianna so that two angry teenage girls and an ashamed wife surrounded her father.

"Our girl is a badass," said Rick in awe, grinning proudly at the back of Brianna's head, not bothering to call her off this time. The smile faded when Drew sagged wearily against his shoulder. "You okay?"

Drew shook his head; "I can't decide whether to cry or punch something or if I'm too tired for either option."

"Let's go sit down," Rick suggested and gestured to Brianna that they'd meet her back in T.C's room. "That's definitely the easier way for this one-legged wonder to give a proper hug anyway."

"Shut up, you're a total rock," Drew protested, sinking onto the bench against the window in T.C's room with a sigh.

"You boys take it in turns being rocks and stubborn idiots," T.C chipped in, and Drew and Rick stared at him in disbelief. The oxygen mask was gone, but they hadn't realized that he was awake.

"Looks like your lungs are back to normal, huh?" said Drew wearily. "That's the only reason Jordan would ever have walked out of this room. You have no right to be calling anyone a stubborn idiot, T."

"Touché," T.C admitted; "At least your marriage went off without a hitch. I'm an expert in screwing up, as you well know. I really am sorry the chopper didn't get here in time to save Syd."

"That's hardly your fault," Rick pointed out, only half committed to easing T.C's guilt trip because the reminder was too much for Drew. "Shrapnel is a total bitch, to put it mildly." T.C looked away with a disbelieving grimace, and Rick's arms tightened around Drew, whose silent tears were finally soaking his shirt. "Shh, it's okay, let it out."

"Punching something definitely would have been the less humiliating option," said Drew faintly. "I love you. For the record, being a fantastic rock doesn't require two legs."

"Does it require a teenager or two?" said T.C, gesturing at the doorway. "I spy my rock and two pretty girls."

"You mean I'm not a pretty girl?" Jordan laughed, leading Riley and Brianna into the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Jones went for coffee; it sounded like they were arguing so the girls decided they'd rather hang out here."

"You are the rock, babe," said T.C seriously; "way more important than pretty girls."

"Girls are pretty great too," said Drew; "and coming from me that's always a compliment." Riley perched awkwardly at the foot of T.C's bed while Brianna clambered onto Drew's lap. Squeezing his daughter affectionately, he watched the bushy-haired teen sadly; "Listen, Riles, I know it's been crazy with that whole showdown with your Dad, and everything…but the promise still stands, okay?"

"Twenty-four," Brianna piped up, smiling at the other girl.

"Seven," Riley finished in a small voice. "Thanks. Mom used to talk about us having play-dates at some point; I hope next time I'm in Texas we can do something."

"For sure," said Brianna cheerfully; "it's not like these two can exactly give me a sibling easily," she laughed, pointing at Drew and Rick's amazed expressions. "I've always wanted a sister."

"I hope Dad and Lexie's new baby doesn't pick up on his views," said Riley dismally, but when Brianna moved to sit beside her, she smiled. Even in a tragic twist of fate, she had found a whole new circle of friends who knew what really mattered in life, a reason to love and be loved, twenty-four seven no matter what.

 **A / N I had some stuff that didn't fit into the flow of this story before, but when I saw how popular it was I decided to share, enjoy part 2! xx**


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